VP Category Management

Vallen; Belmont (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k) with discretionary company 1/2%

Employer-paid life insurance

Paid time off and holidays

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Employee discounts

Advancement opportunities

Job summary

Vallen, a leading industrial distribution and supply chain solutions company in the United States, seeks a VP of North American Category Management to own assortment strategy, supplier partnerships, and the procurement engine that supports indirect needs. You will guide private-brand growth, pricing and field enablement across North America.

You will lead a team of senior category managers, collaborate with sales, inventory, IT, and marketing, and drive margin and growth through data-driven

Qualifications

• 12+ years in category management, merchandising, or strategic sourcing with leadership experience
• Track record building assortment and private brand strategies
• Deep procurement and supplier negotiation experience
• Fluency with pricing, inventory, and master data systems
• Strong financial acumen; experience presenting to executives
• Bachelor's degree; MBA or equivalent preferred

Responsibilities

• Own assortment strategy with data-driven decisions and rationalize SKUs
• Accelerate private brands, set penetration targets and craft sourcing plans
• Drive value through procurement, rebates, and margin optimization
• Develop strategic supplier partnerships and joint business planning
• Partner with IT to enhance master data and category tools
• Equip sales with assortment narratives and field-ready tools
• Own P&L levers within the category function and report performance
• Lead and develop a team of senior category management professionals across North America

Skills

Leadership

Category management

Merchandising

Negotiation

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or equivalent preferred

Tools

Pricing systems

Inventory systems

Master data management tools

Sourcing tools

Job description

Why Join Our Team?

At Vallen, we embrace what makes us unique. We thrive on the diversity of our associates and the different ways each of us contributes to Vallen’s success. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive company that values the growth of our associates. When you join Vallen, you become part of our winning team. Our vast network of connections is here to help you transform your job into a career. Vallen is an industry leader in delivering flexible supply chain solutions while creating value for our customers, our supply partners, and our associates.

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance for Single, Employee + Spouse or Children, and Family Coverage
• 401(k) with discretionary company match of $0.50 on the $1.00 up to 6% of pay (U.S. positions only)
• Employer-paid Basic Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Dependents
• Employer-paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Benefits and Parental Leave (and any leave required under federal, state, and local laws)
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick Days): 80–160 hours of vacation time based on seniority, accrued monthly and prorated from date of hire. 40–56 hours of sick time per year based on seniority and advanced upon hire.
• Paid Time Off (Holidays): 8 scheduled holidays plus 2 floating holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Resource Groups for networking and team building
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Referral Program
• Safety shoe and safety glasses reimbursement (based on position)
• Employee discounts through BenefitHub
• Vallen complies with all minimum wage laws
• We accept applications on an ongoing basis

Job Description

Why Join Our Team?

At Vallen, we embrace what makes us unique. We thrive on the diversity of our associates and the different ways each of us contributes to Vallen’s success. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive company that values the growth of our associates. When you join Vallen, you become part of our winning team. Our vast network of connections is here to help you transform your job into a career. Vallen is an industry leader in delivering flexible supply chain solutions while creating value for our customers, our supply partners, and our associates.

Benefits At Vallen

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance for Single, Employee + Spouse or Children, and Family Coverage
• 401(k) with discretionary company match of $0.50 on the $1.00 up to 6% of pay (U.S. positions only)
• Employer-paid Basic Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Dependents
• Employer-paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Benefits and Parental Leave (and any leave required under federal, state, and local laws)
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick Days): 80–160 hours of vacation time based on seniority, accrued monthly and prorated from date of hire. 40–56 hours of sick time per year based on seniority and advanced upon hire.
• Paid Time Off (Holidays): 8 scheduled holidays plus 2 floating holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Resource Groups for networking and team building
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Referral Program
• Safety shoe and safety glasses reimbursement (based on position)
• Employee discounts through BenefitHub
• Advancement opportunities
• Vallen complies with all minimum wage laws
• We accept applications on an ongoing basis

Position Summary

The VP, North American Category Management owns Vallen's product assortment strategy and the procurement engine behind it. This leader builds the assortment that serves our customer’s indirect supply chain needs. Through Vallen's MRO, safety, and metalworking programs, this leader will accelerate the growth of Vallen's private brands while developing and enhancing the supplier partnerships that drive differentiation for Vallen’s assortment. This role will also be responsible for collaborating with key, strategic, channel partners to serve the broader needs of Vallen’s customer base. The role leads the category management function across North America and partners closely with sales, integrated supply, pricing, IT, inventory, supply chain and marketing to convert category strategy into field results.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Assortment strategy: Build and execute a data-driven assortment strategy aligned to customer needs, industry verticals, and channel economics. Rationalize SKUs, close assortment gaps, and manage breadth-versus-depth tradeoffs across national brand and private brand lines.

Private brands: Accelerate expansion of Vallen's private brand portfolio, including brand architecture, value positioning, quality standards, assortment scope, and go-to-market rules. Set penetration targets and build the sourcing and marketing plans to hit them.

Procurement and cost: Drive value through best-in-class procurement, including negotiation strategy, rebate and channel spend optimization, cost-increase management, and total landed cost discipline. Own supplier cost negotiations and margin outcomes for the category portfolio.

Supplier partnerships: Develop and accelerate strategic supplier partnerships, including joint business planning, tiering, scorecarding, and performance management. Convert key suppliers into growth and margin partners rather than transactional vendors.

Master data and tooling: Partner with IT to enhance master data management and the sourcing and category tools used by the field organization, improving data quality, item setup, and the systems that surface assortment and pricing to sales.

Field enablement: Equip the sales and integrated supply organizations with the assortment, supplier programs, and category narratives they need to win and retain customers. Translate category strategy into field-usable tools and communications.

Financial ownership: Own the P&L levers within the category function, including gross margin, rebate capture, inventory productivity, and supplier program value. Report performance through monthly business reviews and board-level materials.

Team leadership: Lead and develop a team of senior category management executives across North America, setting standards for analytical rigor, supplier management, and cross-functional partnership.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in category management, merchandising, or strategic sourcing, with 5+ in leadership, preferably in industrial distribution or a comparable B2B distribution environment
• Track record building assortment and private brand strategies that delivered measurable margin and growth outcomes
• Deep procurement and supplier negotiation experience, including rebate and channel spend programs
• Fluency with pricing, inventory, and master data systems and how they interact across a distribution operating model
• Strong financial acumen; comfortable owning gross margin and presenting to executive and board or sponsor audiences
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent preferred

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Equal Opportunity Employer - Ethnically and Culturally Diverse/Females/Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity